I ask you to leave.

"So off you go and good luck. But I'll have to rem—"

"Okay. Okay. We get it. This young lad here's gon become a peculiar an all. But what's this gotta do with us?" Aylmer interrupted.

"We'll be talking about that in a minute but first," he looked at Hariric whose face was now almost covered with smoke before continuing. "Accompany Jack to the entrance."

"But I'll have to warn you before you go there, Jack." His tone suddenly became serious. "Be careful. Be VERY careful with anything that comes out of your mouth once you get there. And more importantly, carefully consider the promise you're gonna make. Be sure you won't regret it." There seemed to be something else he wanted to say but changed his mind midway as he pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Sure. And thanks." It's not hard to understand. It's just that I didn't like the way Mr. Vlad said that. It's as though something bad will happen. But if I only need to be careful with what I'll say then I should be fine. Right? Or so I thought.

Hariric stood which of course, I followed suit. I thought it will only be the two of us but to everyone's surprise, Ethan stood as well. Everyone is now looking at him except for the bone that hasn't moved since it climbed on the chair.

"I'll go with them," Ethan said.

"Useless!" Mr. Vlad exclaimed. "You know it's useless, Ethan. You should just wait here. Besides, we've got important things to discuss." But I'm guessing that no matter what he say at this point, Ethan cannot be stopped. He's acting very strangely. Far from how he acts normally. More serious I would say.

"Oy! What happened to that oaf? T'was only a year or so and —" It was Aylmer we last heard before Hariric led us to wherever our destination may be. Meanwhile, oddly enough, Ethan was walking beside me, matching my pace.

"Why'd you have to come? You're unneeded here." It was Hariric.

"It's none of your business."

"Fine. Fine. You always do what you wanna do regardless of how people feel anyway." Ethan didn't say anything. No one spoke after that. When we reached the staircase, I noticed that the frogs wearing cowboy hats stopped following us.

It was becoming darker and darker as we continued to go down. The steps are becoming less visible. Our footsteps echoed until we reached the end and are now in a hallway. Torches lit on their own on either side whenever we come near them. But unlike the hallway upstairs, this one here has a lower ceiling.

This place has a funny smell I noticed. It smells like a house left unattended for years and has become all dusty.

We stopped in front of a door. Nothing special I would say. Well, except that it's old. Just a simple wooden door that has thick lumber positioned horizontally that served as its lock.

While Hariric was removing the wood, Ethan came closer to me. He placed his hand on top of my shoulder and said, "Please, come back alive and… sane."

"Uhh… sure." For some odd reason, I felt that those words aren't exactly for me.

"Hop in. We cannot come with you. Remember Mr. Vlad's warnings."

"Thanks, Hariric."

Behind the door was nothing but dirt. But on the ground, there was a hole. A hole that was only wide enough for two adults. And since it was dark underneath, there was no way for me to tell how deep it was.

"I'm supposed to jump here, correct?" I asked them.

"Yes. D'ya need a helping hand?" It was Hariric who answered.

"I'd be grateful." And as I said that, he hoisted me into his shoulder like a sack and walked towards the hole. That got me for a second but then my soul almost left my body when all of a sudden, he dropped me. Without warning.

'That jerk!'

I have no time for thinking about anything useless anymore as the world spins around me. I can feel my intestines turning upside down. Everything was so dark as I continued to fall. I tried to flail my arms, hoping to grab something. I don't know. A wall of dirt might even be good news for me. But my hands touched nothing.

It didn't take long before I saw a small flicker of light below me. At first, it was only the size of a candle. But seconds later, it grew into a fist, and into a ball. It continued to grow until it consumed me. Shutting my lids tightly as it assaulted my eyes.

When I finally collected myself, I realized that my feet are touching the ground. I slowly opened my eyes. I'm in a different place.

At my front is a wasteland. The grasses are dead, no trees whatsoever. At my back is a rusty gate. It was locked. I peeked inside but there seem to be no one. Just some weird-looking plants.

"Hello! Anyone there?" I shouted but no one answered. "Uhm… Can I get in?" Still no answer.

I was about to give up on calling when I heard some footsteps coming in my direction.

From the corner, a man came into view. He was about twice my height, wearing a benign smile. He wore a butler's suit. His long gray hair was tied into a low pony.

"Are you a traveller? An adventurer perhaps? Hmm, let's see. Are you here to test your might? If you are then I ask you to leave. For just like you, many have come during the night and guess what. They've never seen the light."